Confessions of Stella Malone
by QuillForYourThoughts
Summary: JONAS. After Stella's world comes crashing down due to a huge New York scandal, she returns to the people and place she loved the most. But her stay may be too extended when her friends and family world begins to tear apart as well. Nacy & Joella
1. Prologue

**CONFESSIONS OF STELLA MALONE**

_Inspired by the _Confessions of a Shopaholic_ series, this story is written from the perspective of Stella Malone- resident shopping guru, New York's most stylish "It" girl, former stylist to the band of Jonas…and now, immensely broke. After maxing out her last credit card on a pair of Blanco Manolo heels, Stella finds herself penniless, jobless, and now homeless even. She turns to her good friends Nick and Macy who are now happily married since she is not able to call upon the boy who so long ago broke her heart many years ago aka Nick's brother, Joe. But as soon as she moves in with them, the chaos starts and Stella finds herself destructing not only her life, but also Nick and Macy's marriage. Will she be able to save herself and prevent her friends' marriage from falling apart?_

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**PROLOGUE**

A Pair Of Red Christian Louboutin Heels, A Giorgio Armani Scarf, And An Estella Collection Dress…

All items were neatly packed into Stella's carry-on bag as the taxi took her to her destination.

It was as if these items were mocking her saying, "Come get me because I know you _can't _have me!" And if all these items could talk, they would say exactly just that. These items were certainly not for her! Instead, they were for the kind souls that decided to take her in during the most downfall part of her life. Thanks to Nick and Macy Lucas, Stella Malone would no longer be homeless. Were her pride and self-respect taken away? Yes, but that didn't matter as long as Stella had a place to stay.

And now as she looked at these three items, she knew shoes, scarves, and dresses would never be enough to say thank you to the friends that were considerate enough to take her in. Sure, Macy would love the heels she could add to her infamous shoe collection that even Stella couldn't beat, and yes, Nick would look simply dashing in the Armani scarf. Heck, even unborn baby would look cute with an Estella dress on. But no matter what Stella could give them, words and presents would simply not be enough.

The taxi stopped to the unfamiliar Connecticut mansion where a certain musician and his wife lived. Christmas lights hung from the house as decorations such as garlands and bows were added to the sentimental feel. Stella got out of the car and gulped as she looked around. Never once in her twenty-three years had she felt _this_ guilty before in her life. She was invading a family's personal space! She couldn't do that to her best friends! Especially when they had a child on the way!

Stella was even contemplating to ask the taxi driver to take her back to New York until a scream was heard coming from the house.

"_Oh my God! Nicky, she's here!"_

Macy. Stella chuckled. And before she knew it, she saw the figure of Nick Lucas coming quickly out of his house to greet her. His handsome face would be recognizable anywhere even if he was just wearing a plain, white t-shirt and jogging pants.

"Hey, Stella!" He greeted her with a friendly kiss on the cheek before helping her with her belongings. Let's see….there was her carry-on, her purse, her other carry-on, her suitcase for her cosmetics, the suitcase for her actual clothes….

"Damn, Stella! How much stuff did you bring?" Nick joked, as he took two suitcases and a carry-on bag from her. However, he wasn't exaggerating on the quantity of stuff.

"Pretty much my whole apartment," replied Stella sadly. For a moment, she regretted saying that. These people were already taking her in. There was no need to complain and whine about her failed personal life.

"It's okay, Stells," Nick understood and offered her a reassuring smile. "We already said you can stay for as long as you need to. Plus, Macy's thrilled about having you here. You know, she almost ran outside with me just now?" He laughed at his pregnant wife's crazy antics. "But I told her to stay put. Can't risk her getting sick during this kind of weather."

Stella was about to ask then why he was wearing what he was wearing when another scream repeated through the night sky. "Ah! Stella!"

And before she knew it, Stella was tackled in a hug by the very pregnant Macy Misa Lucas.

"_What are you doing outside?"_ Nick's protest was ignored as the girls had their attention on each other.

"Macy!" A genuine smile left Stella's face for the very first time since leaving New York. Nothing was compared to seeing her best friend's face, especially now as she was glowing.

"You look gorgeous, Mace," complimented Stella, as she took in her friend's pregnant form.

"Pssh," Macy scoffed teasingly. "And who's the one wearing next season's blue Manolo Blahnik's shoes, hmm?"

Stella was about to retort until Nick spoke. She kind of forgot he was standing there carrying the three out of five bags she had…in the cold air…and only wearing a plain, white tee. "Sorry to interrupt the little lovefest that's going on," Nick joked as he struggled to keep the carry-on bag on his shoulder, "but, uh, can we take this little session inside?"

As the trio entered into the house, Stella saw for the very first time what she was missing in her friends' lives. She hadn't been to their hometown of New Jersey in fear of running into _him_, nor had she seen the house Nick had bought for Macy here in Connecticut. A small glimpse of pain went through her knowing what she had missed.

A huge Christmas tree was centered in the marble-floored foyer as garlands decorated the railings on either sides of the staircases. And in the faint background, Christmas music was already playing sounds of Frank Sinatra. Stella was in awe. Yes, she had seen mansions as big as these, even bigger in fact. But none compared to the homely feel that the Misa-Lucas residence had to offer.

"Baby, I told you to stay inside. I don't want my family getting sick."

Stella overheard Nick whispering and telling Macy. She turned around and almost gagged at the sight in front of her. If it were anyone else, she'd think it was sweet. But this…this was like watching her brother and sister make out. Not to mention these two were already married. She saw Nick's hand pressed against Macy's bulge of a stomach with his lips closely to hers.

"I know, I know, but I just can't wait to see her!" She heard Macy reply and possibly kissing him back.

Oh, sick.

Great, now Stella felt even more guilty for staying.

"Oh, crap, I can't take it anymore! Can we please just tell her, Nick?"

An excited Macy exclaimed. Stella watched Macy staring at Nick pleadingly.

Nick rolled his eyes before he smiled, "Go ahead, tell her the news."

Macy squealed again before turning back to Stella.

"Stella, we're having two babies! Two girls! We're having twins!"

Wow, how many possible ways can you say 'We are pregnant with twins'?

Stella's eyes grew as round and big as the lenses on her Gucci sunglasses. "What? _How_?"

At that moment, Macy turned to Nick whose face was now turning red.

Stella realized what she had just said.

"Well, um," Macy began. "You see, I'm guessing they're fraternal because—"

"No, no, no, no, no! I didn't mean 'how', I was just surprised," she covered up quickly _definitely_ not wanting to hear the rest. But she couldn't stop herself from giving off another genuine smile that flooded her face. She gave the soon-to-be parents a warm hug.

"Aw, I'm so excited for you two! Congratulations!"

As soon as she hugged them, another pang suddenly hit her. She'd be invading _twice _the privacy. Great, she couldn't feel guiltier than this. And, fuck. Did she even have enough money to buy _another_ Estella dress?

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_Hey guys! Funky Dory here! So I took a break from writing for a while...a LONG ASS while and i deeply and profusely apologize for it. But alas, now summer is here, graduation has passed and we all know that I will have more time for writing. Although my unhealthy, obsessionable phase of JONAS has passed, I really do love this story and will continue writing it. So enjoy!_

_To all my Twitter followers before, I have changed my name to **FunkyDory007**_

**_So make sure to READ AND REVIEW AND READ AND REVIEW AGAIN IN ANY ORDER! Feed me some reviews, and I'll post faster ;)_**

**_Toodles._**


	2. I

**CONFESSIONS OF STELLA MALONE**

Author's Note: So maybe some of you readers are wondering why I deleted this story in the first place and posted it up again. If some of you remember, I had originally posted this story before Christmastime and deleted it sometime earlier this year. The reason I did this was because I lost interest in this story for a little while...BUT my common senses kicked in earlier this month and I have continued to write more chapters of this story. So far I have SIX chapters down which I am very excited to post...so the more reviews, the faster :-D

I may have to do it the 'traditional way' and post only ONE chapter a week if this story doesnt get a lot of reviews. So, as you can see reviews are important to me. And i'm going to stop talking about reviews. Anyway, I plan to have this story finished by the end of summer and I have a very descriptive and detailed outline of how this story is going to climax and end...and trust me...those six chapters are nowhere near it :D

Just expect more twists and turns in this story..that's all i will say...oh ya, and REVIEW, please? :D

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_Chapter One_

It all started with that one call...

It was that stupid phone call from Peggy Sui that would ruin my life forever, technically speaking.

Peggy Sui. That name, oh boy let me tell you, that name would always leave a scar in my mind.

Peggy Sui was the internationally-known superstar from Japan famous for her advice-giving talk shows, two time platinum albums, and her newest clothing line called Sui Sexy. Peggy Sui was famous. Peggy Sui had it all. Peggy Sui ruined my life.

You see, before Peggy made it big in the US, she needed a stylist. Not just a stylist, but someone to show her the ropes, the ups and downs of New York City. That's where I, Stella Malone, came in. I met Peggy on the night I moved to New York City. We were both only nineteen years old, fresh out of high school and pretty much fresh meat. She was aspiring to be a singer, and me, a respected stylist. So we began doing what we both came to the City to do. Less than three months later, a label finally picked up Peggy. She was A_that _good. I became her stylist, and together, we conquered the world.

Or so, that's what I thought. We made an amazing team and had an amazing friendship for the last four years. That is until Peggy screwed me over, stole my ideas for the next year's spring line, and bad-mouthed me to every A-lister there is.

"Oh, honey. I didn't _bad-mouth _you, don't worry. I just simply said you were in a rut with your clothing ideas," Peggy had explained nonchalantly over the phone.

"That's because you stole my ideas, you filthy, foolish whore!" I had yelled back. I was so mad, but I needed to say what was on my chest. However, calling _the _Peggy Sui a 'whore' was never a good idea. Needless to say in less than twenty four hours, I lost my client, my job, and my pride.

Apparently after our friendly confrontation, Peggy proceeded to tell everyone the reason why Stella Malone was no longer her stylist- because I had "lost creativity and began using Peggy's ideas". What. The. Heck.

And now on this Friday morning, I am stuck here alone in my New York apartment which I can now barely afford drinking coffee and watching television with my cat. As I changed the channel, I groaned remembering certain memories. When me and my old friend Macy Misa joked we were going to be cat ladies when we were older, we never realized that it would actually happen to one of _us._

Coincidentally as soon as I thought of Macy, her name flashed brightly and clearly on my television screen. My eyes grew big as I heard the news of an old friend. _"And today in the world of entertainment, we are pleased to announce the pregnancy of Nick Lucas and wife—"_

"—what?"

"—_have been married for a little less than two years now. The couple says they are thrilled and blessed to have a child on the way. Macy, who married the young pop star and heartthrob at the early age of twenty, is reported to already be six months along—"_

"—seriously? You can't even tell she's pregnant," I yelled to particularly now one, except other than my cat Henry. I felt a smile creep on my face. "Oh, just think about how cute she's going to look now in her maternity clothes now that she's in her last trimester!"

I suddenly felt my smile fade as I realized I hadn't even talked to Misa- I mean _Lucas,_ in a few months. Things were always so hectic and busy with Peggy…

But now, that everything had changed, I suppose a nice little reunion would suffice? No, that wouldn't be good… I shook the idea from my head sadly. Macy wouldn't want to talk to me. I was the worst best friend ever after moving to New York. I was barely there for her when I left even though I promised I would be. I didn't even go to her own wedding! Who was I kidding? She had Nick now and surely didn't need me getting in her way.

"Do you think I'm a bad friend?" I looked sadly to Henry. Great, I was talking to my cat.

Henry looked up at me with a questionable gaze. "Nevermind, don't answer that," I added quickly. Oh, you've got to be kidding me…I did _not_ just say _that_ to a cat.

As if on cue, Henry lifted himself off the pillow and scampered away. Even my cat hates me.

I ran through a list of people in my head. I needed someone. Just _someone anyone _to be there. My parents? No, they were in Europe until Christmas. Close relatives? …Yeah, right. Any friends? Well, don't get me wrong. I _did _have friends, but that was until I realized they were in with Peggy. And I wasn't exactly a social butterfly either.

I sighed knowing what I was doing was useless. None of these people in New York would be there for me just how the people I knew before would have been. Before I knew it, I found myself dialing the phone number of _the_ Mrs. Nick Lucas. I counted the number of times the phone rang. One…two…three...four…Macy's voice was suddenly heard from the other side of the line, and for a moment, I felt a happiness in my heart. No matter how corny that just sounded, I still felt happy. Just hearing Macy's familiar voice—

-oh wait, that was just her voicemail recording. Poop.

I ended the call and my phone met the other side of the room. Macy _really _didn't need me. She had Nick.

And me, well me…I had Henry, my freaking cat.

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**Dont forget to follow me on Twitter if you have one FunkyDory007**


	3. II

**CONFESSIONS OF STELLA MALONE**

Author's Note: Hey so thanks for all the hits this story has received. It's really a great site to see over 200 hits after a hard-hitting day at work. Really. :-D But PLEASE REVIEW? FOR ME? FOR THE STORY?

Don't forget to follow me on twitter, I just started a new one recently FunkyDory007

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_Chapter Two_

When I made that phone call on Friday morning, I had never expected a call back. I mean, who would call Stella Malone after she had just flunked out of a high-profile job? Absolutely no one.

That's why I was thrilled when Monday morning rolled by a certain call came through. It was just nine-thirty in the morning and I was already bored_. I should be at work at this time_, I thought sadly to myself. Instead of a fitting Donna Karan skirt suit I should have been dressed in for work, I was in my silky pink pajama suit instead. Great, this was just magical. I would be living my life as a bum with supposedly "no more inspiration nor creativity" and—

_Rrrrring. _

_Ooof_, I jumped a bit in my seat, coffee staining my once perfectly fine pajamas. Great, I thought.

_Rrrrring._

The phone rang again and realization hit me. It was_ nine-thirty_ in the morning and like I said, I should be at work at this time. An idea and a smile hit me. Maybe, just _maybe_, it was Peggy Sui begging for forgiveness and mercy. Psh, I'd show that sucker never to mess with Stella Malone.

Or maybe it was one of those surprise vacation getaways! You know the ones where they call and say, "Hey, congratulations! You've won a free trip to so-and-so just because we feel sorry for your lazy bum."

Or, maybe it was Saks Fifth Avenue calling me to be one of their wardrobe consultants! I mean, it didn't beat being Peggy Sui's personal stylist nor touring the world with her, but it was _something._

The phone rang again, and I realized I better grab it before I missed my chance at something big. Excitedly, I scurried over not caring about my stained pajamas and answered.

"Hello? Yes, I'd _love _to be your personal stylist!" I squealed in the phone. Oh. My. God. I did not just say that. I felt a blush creeping on my cheeks. My eyes grew round as the real world sucked me back in. What was I thinking Saks Fifth would call me? Mentally, I slapped myself.

"Stella?" the other voice on the line called out. It was a woman's voice. She seemed to be whispering. "Stella, is that you? Are you drunk?"

I closed my eyes, embarrassed. Luckily, she couldn't see me. "Yes, this is Stella Malone speaking. Sorry about that. I realized I answered the wrong line. I didn't—"

Wait a minute. A thought crossed my mind. Hey now who in their right mind would accuse me of being drunk? I don't even drink. They don't even know me! I then realized I didn't even know who I was speaking to.

"May I ask who is calling?" I gathered myself together and asked in my most professional voice regardless of the fact that the caller had just accused me of being intoxicated.

"Stella," the voice answered again. "It's Macy."

An excitement went through me. "_Macy?_"

"Yes, it's me you silly goose," she joked. I smiled. She was still the same old Macy. At least one of us hadn't changed. She began to whisper again. "I saw that you called last week."

"Mhmm!" I responded as I fiddled with the telephone cord. An awkward silence crept between the two lines. Oh, it was my turn to talk wasn't it? Well, this was awkward. Well, here it goes…

"Yeah, I did call you," I spoke up and gathered myself together. "I just wanted to see what's up with you. We haven't had a chance to talk in a while. I mean, I know it's my fault with work always being crazy. But, you know I miss you though, right? And I regret not calling you and keeping in touch for the last four months."

I ended my long, once-hidden-but-now-revealed speech and realized every word I meant. I really did miss Macy and it _was _my fault for the lost contact. When she didn't speak up, I continued. "Well, I saw on the news that you're pregnant…Mace, I'm so happy for you."

I was about to speak up again, but for this time the sake of not being even more embarrassed. However, thank God, she spoke.

"Thank you. Me and Nick are so excited. But, I still miss you, Stells," she whispered, her voice more hoarse than before. Was she crying? Did my speech move her so close to tears?

"Macy, are you okay?" I asked gently not wanting to ruin the moment.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Macy responded from the other line, her voice growing a tad louder. "It's just that Nick was in the other room sleeping and I didn't want to wake him up. Sorry if you couldn't hear me!" She laughed.

By the end of her last sentence, her voice was up to its usual volume. Oh, and for a minute I thought she was crying…

"Anyway," the cheerful brunette began once again. "Aww, Stella! I'm so glad you called! And don't worry, I understand you've been busy working for Peggy and all! How is she? How's working as the number one, best personal stylist for the _best-selling,_ _only-selling _international pop star doing for you?"

I laughed. I knew she was exaggerating…in a nice joking way. However, I also knew she was never a huge fan of Peggy's after Peggy so rudely dissed JONAS calling them (and I quote) the "Backstreet Boys of the Twenty-First Century". Of course, when Peggy called them that, the band shrugged it off, but after _People _and _Rolling Stones _magazines had a field day with it, that's when the real trouble started.

"I'm doing great, Mace. Working for Peggy is just…great." I couldn't tell her the truth. Not just yet anyway.

"Well, that's amazing, Stella!" She sounded so happy. And I knew for a fact that she was proud of me. She even told me that, well that's before I left for New York never to see their faces from time to time again. She understood my job required heavier hours and not much personal time. And I loved her for that. And that was why I couldn't tell her I lost my job.

"So, I know you're busy," Macy began. There was hesitancy in her voice. "But do you think you could take some time off and be _my _own personal stylist for a few days?"

Even from the other line, I could feel a smile growing on the pregnant woman's face. I could also feel a smile on my face. Would there be a Macy and Stella reunion? Just what was she saying exactly?

"Yes! Yes! I'd love to! Just tell me when and where!" I said excitedly. Finally, in a long time would I see a genuine face that I missed. The catching up would certainly do us good.

"Actually, you don't have to go anywhere! We're coming to New York for a few days for Nick's birthday! Isn't that exciting?" she squealed.

Suddenly, I felt my face grow warm. Oh shit. Nick's birthday was on the sixteenth of this month. That was only in a few days. If Nick and Macy were coming, would that mean—

"—oh, it's just me and Nick that are coming to town. Kevin is in Africa doing some charity work and—um, Joe is in LA for some children's event," Macy added quickly. I knew she did that on purpose as not to scare me by some kind of surprise arrival from Joe.

"That's great, Mace!" And this time, I truly meant it. It would just be me, Mace, and Nick. Just like old times.

"Hey listen, I have to go! But, I'll email you the details of our arrival, alright? Okay, Stella! Bye!" And with a click of a button, she was gone. I was left to myself staring at the phone. Did that really just happen? After four months of avoiding the people I loved, I would be seeing them once again.

I got up from the couch excitedly. I had better start my day. Didn't want to waste a perfectly good day off from work now, would I? I checked the clock. 9:50. So what would I do for the next twelve hours? I sighed knowing I had nothing to do. Hmm, where was Henry? Maybe I'd take him to Central Park and have a nice walk. That's what normal people did, right?

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	4. III: Part One

**CONFESSIONS OF STELLA MALONE**

Author's Note: So, when I was writing this chapter and the following chapter that will be posted up shortly, I realized that they go together because the plot of the chapters are similar. So in this case, this is Part One of the third chapter of the story. And to anyone who's confused, this chapter and the previous chapters are all accounted with Stella's Sucky Day. You know, I almost entitled this story as _Stella's Sucky Day_, but found it waaaaaaay too immature, even on my account. Okay, I'll shut up. Thanks for reading, have a nice day.

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_Chapter Three  
_PART ONE

I never did make it to Central Park. Well, not until the end of the day at least.

After Macy called with good news of her upcoming arrival, I decided that the best I could do to make up for lost times was to give her a good old New York welcome. And that involved the one very best thing to do in NYC- shopping.

Lunchtime came around, quickly surprising me that the beginning of my day was already gone. My day would have started earlier if The View had decided not to do such a kick-ass story on Tiger Woods. I decided since this was my first day of being an unemployed, single woman that I would take advantage of it and make it a good day. Matching my Armani Exchange white trousers with a V-necked, mustard colored Gucci silk blouse that went well against the color of my hair, I paired it with shoes that were a tad simpler for walking purposes- a nice pair of Christian Louboutin suede ankle boots. The Denny & George scarf wrapped around my neck was just an added bonus.

I left my apartment with an even better looking purse in tow and around one o'clock. I left and made what I thought to be the stupidest decision ever made in my twenty-three year old life…

Do you ever have one of those days where you wake up feeling great, hair looks great, and ate a great meal? Then you'd obviously think you would have a great day ahead of you, right? But then it turns out to be the suckiest, crappiest, shittiest day of your life and you wondered what the _hell_ went wrong?

Well, it was just another of these days in the life of Stella Marie Malone.

And, it all happened because of this. It was such a beautiful day outside. The wind was blowing, the trees were swaying with the breeze, children were laughing… New York environment hadn't been this nice in a few weeks. Instead of taking my car or some sort of transportation like all workaholics and sane people do, I decided a nice stroll would suffice instead. No rush. It seemed like a good idea…at that time.

The cool September breeze flew by. God, this was going to be a good day. So down to business. How can I make this New York trip the trip of a lifetime for Macy?

As I walked down the busy streets of Manhattan, idea after idea came popping in my mind. Some were good, some were bad, and some…let's just say I would never think again. Ooh, I could do the ultimate best friend package and get her a new wardrobe complete with a massage, facial, mani/pedi, and dinner at the exclusive Per Se Restaurante! But she _did_ mention it was Nick's birthday and that she needed a personal stylist…Wait a minute, stylist for what? She was an _official_ A-list dresser. She probably needed something for the night of Nick's birthday…my eyes grew wide. Okay, mind out of the gutter. Oh, sick. To me I felt like their crazy mother sometimes and those two were like a little brother and like a little, baby sister who was having her _own _baby. Maybe we should do something the whole family would enjoy?

Eh, whatever. As I turned right onto Fifth Avenue, I felt a hand grab my shoulder.

"Excuse me, kind lady?" A man said with a rough voice. His face was dirty and his clothes were no better. He was dressed in rags of clothes which looked _really_ outdated. "Spare me some change? Please, Miss?"

A small smile grew as I took out my wallet. "Oh, why not?" I said brightly seeing a way to help others. As soon as he saw the crumpled five dollar bill, a toothy grin escaped from his lip. "Oh, thank you ma'am! You've made my day!"

He walked, more like _skipped_, away buying God knows what with it. I re-adjusted my purse. Time to go shopping! And what do you know? I was standing right outside of Saks Fifth! Could this day get any better?

I inhaled the familiar scent of everything designer as soon as I walked in ready to enjoy the many levels of Saks Fifth Avenue. The other amazing thing about the store was that I had made a close friend there, and not just some fake A-lister in the entertainment world, but a real, genuine friend. I looked around for Natalie. Natalie was a sales associate at Saks, whose main job was to see that the customer received a friendly welcome as soon as his or her designer shoe stepped into the store. Nat was quiet and shy, yes, but she was also very polite.

And that was why I was confused as soon as I walked into Saks. Instead of coming right up to me in her usual friendly ways, I saw her there standing near her post- ignoring me. Her petite frame and Posh Spice haircut could be recognizable anywhere. But, in no way did she show any acknowledgement.

"Hey, Nat!" I called out her name and gave a small wave. The young brunette turned her attention to me and smiled weakly. I walked over to her since she wasn't too busy. Saks Fifth was never too crowded on a Monday during midday.

"Oh, hey Stella," she said quietly. The usual brightness in her voice was gone. There were dark circles underneath her eyes. And her young, cheery self was nowhere evident. She smiled weakly through her dark, eye-lined eyes. "What's up?" She shrugged casually not giving a care in the world that the newest line of Louis Vuitton purses was merely just a couple feet away from her.

I was taken aback. This was _not _Natalie. Usually, she'd be the one doing the talking about the latest at Saks Fifth. And not just talking about the clothes, but also the drama of it as well. Like how one cashier on the second floor found out his wife was cheating on him with another cashier on the fifth floor… Ah, you gotta love Saks Fifth.

"Oh, nothing really. Just shopping for my friend, Macy. She's coming to town in a few days with her husband," I said slyly. A grin crept on my face…

When the realization on Natalie's confused face didn't show, I quickly added, "You know Nick Lucas and his wife?" I smirked to myself knowing about Natalie's schoolgirl crush on the youngest pop star.

Natalie let out a loud gasp. I winced. Who knew such a tiny frame could make such a noise? "Nick's coming to town? Oh my God!"

And, oh _my _God. I thought to myself. Speaking of Macy, if anyone could scream higher than her, it'd be Natalie. "Yup," I nodded proudly. "They're coming to the city for a few days for Nick's birthday."

"Holy shit!" She said, excitedly, her brown eyes pretty much popping out of her face. Her unexpected words caused some customers to look at her. "I mean, that's amazing! Well, I hope you have fun showing them around. Well, not technically showing them around. I mean, it _is _Nick Lucas and surely he's been to New York before and—"

"—Natalie?" I stopped her before she could say anymore. Something had caught my attention. "Why is everyone still staring?"

Sure enough if not all, then _almost_ all the customers and sales associates had turned to watch me and Natalie. Some had this _look_. That _look_ that could 'kill a thousand horses' kind-of look. Oh no, that's when realization sunk in. They weren't looking at Natalie were they?

"Um, Stella," Natalie's timid voice began. "That's what I kind of wanted to warn you about, but in privacy." She began fiddling with her ring. "Um, when you walked in this morning—"

"Natalie, spit it out." It came out more threateningly than how I intended it to be. But, there was a feeling I had that this wouldn't be good. "What's going on?"

"Okay, um, how do I explain this?" She fiddled with her words, as well as her manicured fingers. "Everyone knows about you and Peggy Sui parting ways."

"So, what?" I interrupted. "Peggy was a complete diva. What else did everyone—"

"-wait let me finish," Natalie budged kindly. And with her sympathetic eyes, she continued to give me the worst news I could have possibly imagined. "They heard what Peggy said about you to the press…that you 'lost' your creative instincts and all."

"Okay?" I said slowly. What did that have to do with the fact that—Oh, no. Oh no, no, no, no. My eyes grew wide. _Now _I understood what she was trying to say.

"And they think since you 'lost' these creative instincts that you've copied your sketches from _other_ designers. They think you're a fraud, Stel—"

"—what?" I nearly yelled! I swear, if I had been seated, I would've fallen out of me seat! By now, almost everyone on the first floor of Saks Fifth had turned to look. "They think I copied? What the hell? They should know by now all of my collections are authentic!"

My _collections_! I hadn't even thought about the whole Peggy Sui scandal accordingly. If everyone thought my designs were fake and copied, that meant not a cent would go towards my clothing line! Nobody would buy my designs! Which also meant, I gulped, I am going to go bankrupt.

"And, and that's not all, Stella." Natalie looked almost fearful to deliver the last piece of news, as if someone would eat her alive if she said one more word. Mainly meaning, me. "Peggy told everyone you copied off of her and _that's _the real reason why she fired you," she whispered with a slight rush.

I grew silent. Fury was going through my veins. I could feel it. I could feel my face getting redder, my hands shaking tremendously, and my stomach flipping at about a hundred times per hour. A mix of anger and frustration and sadness went through me. My reputation was ruined. Everything would be gone. My clothing line would probably be boycott. No one would buy clothing from a 'fraud'. I wanted to punch something—really hard.

"Well t-they can believe all the lies they want to believe," I swallowed out as controllably as I could. I could feel the stinging in my eye. By now, everyone was looking whether they were customers or sales associates or merely just spectators peering in the window. Everyone had stopped what they were doing. And I was positive everyone was listening onto me and Natalie's conversation. This was _embarrassing._

I turned to leave without another word coming out of my mouth. I felt Natalie grab my arm. Oh no. Was there more bad news? Hadn't there been enough? Instead of another bad report coming out of her mouth came, a sincere apology came out instead. She muttered a quick 'I'm so sorry' before turning back to her work. I understood. If a manager or head-honcho saw who Nat was talking to, she'd be in some deep water.

Well, so much for Saks Fifth Avenue. As quickly and quietly as I could, I exited the store I once loved most and continued down Fifth. There was no way I could stay in that store. Everyone believed the made up story about the Stella Malone Collection. I was in the midst of a scandal!

After I made the escape from Saks, I continued down the roads of trendy boutiques and stopped in front of Versace. I began to fear what Versace would have thought of me. I smiled a little as I saw the new pumps featured in the window. And right next to the pumps was a 'sale' sign. Versace never had any sales! This officially made my day! Macy would love some new shoes! After all, she could beat _anyone _with her killer shoe collection. A smile came as I started to push against the door of Versace. Suddenly, I stopped as awareness came across my mind. I couldn't go in _there_! In fact, I couldn't go anywhere!

Everyone knew about the scandal! What was I thinking of stepping foot in there? This probably meant more death glares and tears of so-called betrayal would form if I did. I took a deep breath debating whether or not I would show my face at Versace. It _was Versace_ after all.

Oh, what the hell. I shrugged. People could believe what they wanted. So what? I'm still a style star.

Plus, Versace was a close second to making any sad day turn into a good one. And trust me, this was most definitely, already a sad day.

I walked into the store taking a deep breath. All I knew was just to expect the same occurrence that had happened at Saks. Surprisingly, no one turned to look. And thank God too.

The previous heels in the window caught my eye once again. I smiled. Hmm, I would be getting those in a size eight and a size nine. One for Macy and one for me, obviously. I browsed again with my eyes for what else I could find. Seriously, this was like a girl's dream right here. A gasp escaped my mouth as I saw what was ahead of me. Versace Rimless Shield Sunglasses- Sale $190.90.

I would definitely be taking a pair of those. It wasn't everyday that these glasses cost almost half priced. The sales associate at the counter smiled as she saw the sunglasses in my right hand and the two pairs of heels in the other. That was when I noticed. Oh shit, everyone slowly began to turn their attention towards me. They recognized me, didn't they? Okay, play it cool. Play it cool. Take a deep breath. Just move quickly, I told myself. Try not to make a big scene. Hopefully, nobody recognizes me. If I could just quickly get those shoes and glasses-

"Oh my God, Stella Malone? Is that you?"

You've got to be kidding me! Who in their right mind would yell my name? Whoever that was, that son of a b—

"Amy?"

A tall, perky brunette graced her way towards me. The scantily clad figure of Amy Budo was recognizable anywhere—even in high school. Her foul smelling perfume graced my presence. Immediately, I knew which scent she wore. I just won't reveal what it was for the sake of their reputation and my safety.

"Oh my God, Stella Malone! How have you been? I bet you've just been doing well, haven't you?" That fake voice. Ah, some things just didn't change. She tossed her extensions out of her face before turning to face me again waiting for my reply.

"I've been well, working in and out of the city. You know, the usual perks of being a stylist." I offered diligently. Even five years later, this chick still pressed the wrong buttons. There was something about her that just screamed 'fake'.

"But, you're _not _a stylist, well—anymore at least. I mean, haven't you read the papers?"

I can't believe that her clueless face just stated the most obvious thing. She stared at me blankly waiting for an explanation. Okay, so she wasn't the slowest person out there, but she most definitely wasn't the brightest…nor modest.

"Actually, I'm Nick Lucas' personal stylist now," I found myself saying of her former boyfriend. What in the world _was_ I saying? Before I could stop myself, more words came out of my mouth. "Yeah, after me and Peggy split, I became Nick's stylist once again. It's good having him back in my life." I added nonchalantly. Great, I was becoming fake with my words as much as she was just fake, period. "In fact, he and Macy are coming here next week!"

Her dark eyes grew wider. Another déjà vu. First Natalie, then Amy? Damn, what was with these twenty-something year old girls and Nick Lucas? Even in high school, he already had twenty-year olds saying what a handsome man he would one day become. He wasn't _that _cute…at least compared to his brother J-

"Oh good! You're not with that ghastly woman anymore. What was her name? Piglet So or something?" Amy rolled her eyes. She began playing with her nails. "Ugh, I could never understand how you could tolerate her. I swear, its girls like her…"

Yep. Mhmm. Exactly. Girls like _her._ Wait, did she just compare Peggy Sui to Piglet_?_

"Hey listen, Stells. I've got to run, but I need a huge favor now since you're free from Piglet-"

"-Peggy."

"_Peggy_, then…_._ Whatever," She corrected rolling her eyes. "But, like I said. I need a favor, you know- friend to friend?"

"Amy, I uh-, hate to break it to you, but we were never friends," I informed her as _kindly _as I could. She looked at me as deer in headlights. Well, what? Truth hurts.

Amy shook her hair pretending not to hear what I just said. "Okay then. If it's cold, hard cash that you want? I was wondering if you could have an outfit ready for me for Friday night. It's an art gala in SoHo. You still have your old number right? So, I'll get someone right away to call you with the details!" Her polished nails glistened as she waved goodbye followed by an army of matching scantily clad girls.

I breathed a sigh of relief now that she was gone. Oh, God. Did I just lie to her and say I was Nick's personal stylist? What was I thinking? This was Amy Budo we were talking about! She was nearly as bad as Piglet, I mean Peggy Sui! If she found out I was lying about my job, she'd tell the press and the press would have another field day with it

Okay, breathe.

Breathe.

Fuck. I'm going to go broke. I can just feel it.

Breathe?

Okay, it's not working.

Maybe if I just tell Nick what happened and explained, he could help with the situation and, and maybe—

Maybe what, though? I couldn't ask him to lie for me and say I was his personal stylist. I hadn't been his stylist in four years! He had that new Christopher working for him. Who, I'd say, was pretty darn good with his job.

Sighing, I took the three items to the counter. The lady smiled as I handed her my credit card. Whatever was making her happy, could that _please _just make me happy too? I felt miserable.

But, no. I couldn't and I wouldn't ask Nick to lie. It was _my _problem. I'd just have to hope that Amy would somehow miraculously forget that I ever mentioned who my client was. A sinking feeling caught in the pit of my stomach. I didn't want to live like this- making up stories just to cover up my failure of a career.

I took the bags from the sales associate and hurriedly exited the store. I checked the time. Blackberry read _3:03PM_. Oh crap! I had a date with Henry my cat at Central Park in less than thirty minutes. After all, I did promise him a stroll.

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I don't know why my chapter endings are referring to that cat. I actually hate cats...Review please? Tell me about the story, about your feedback, about your life, about how you love/hate cats?

**July 1, 2010: I have started a new Wizards of Waverly Place story called "Renaissance". Go check it out!**


	5. III: Part Two

**CONFESSIONS OF STELLA MALONE**

Author's Note: _Hey guys! Just wanted to say thank you for all the hits and reviews on "Confessions" and my other WOWP "Renaissance". It means alot to me that the numbers of hits and reviews keep growing whenever I log in, and I have you readers to thank for that :D So enjoy!_

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_Chapter Three_  
PART TWO

You know Central Park isn't too bad.

The environment is nice. The air is nice. The people…not so nice, but hey it's New York City.

I took a brief stroll around Turtle Pond enjoying the feel of the park. I must say, it was quite the family-friendly hotspot in the city. It was away from the flashing lights, the hectic schedule, and the jaunty jeers of New York. I saw the everyday dog-walkers, marathon runners, and even did I see small children flying kites. They looked so sweet and innocent too. I smirked, just wait till they become teenagers.

Finally, I began to wear out. I took a bench by the pond and claimed it as my own with Henry following just millimeters away from me. I set my small orange J. Crew coin purse on the bench. I closed my eyes taking in all the relaxation the environment had to offer.

It's like the almost-perfect getaway spot. It feels so calm here just sitting on a bench with the September breeze just slightly blowing, and the mellow sounds of the birds chirping, and the harsh sound of a dog's barking, and the screeching purr of my cat Henry—woah, wait a minute.

I quickly opened my eyes exiting my relaxing escapade to find a large, brown dog barking at Henry near my foot. Yes, a _dog_. It was a dog that ruined my relaxation and comfort zone. And a _dog _that was going to get it if he-, she? …no, _it_…if _it_ wasn't going to stop.

"Shoo!" I cried out waving my hand towards him. The dog began to whimper. Oh, look at that face. The threat on his face wiped off as a saddened, moping expression replaced it. Oh that face. I could sympathize with that face. It was probably the same face I had on in the stores earlier...

Without another sound, the dog went off. Probably going back to its owner or so. I looked down at Henry safely nestled a little too close to my Coach tennis shoe. Just as long as he didn't get any stains on it…If he could just move to the right a little…perfect.

Now, I could relax again and enjoy the day. You know, other than hitting the spa, this came close to a second for top relaxation and comfort. Thinking about it, I haven't been to Central Park in quite a while, nor had I the chance to appreciate its daytime beauty. I'd always been so busy at work that I hadn't been given the time for a jog…not that I don't work out. I mean I _do _have a gym pass.

I thought back hard to the last time I went to Central Park. I swore I had gone there at least once this past year. And then it hit me. I opened my eyes. The last time I was here, I was with Joe. Oh no. Those memories were beginning to fill my mind again.

It had been in February when he visited. I hadn't seen him since I was nineteen. He was visiting some friends in the city and thought it nice that he would consider stopping by. He took me to Central Park the last night of his visit. At that time, I honestly thought we could just forget the painful past that happened between us and return to our usual friendship. But of course, Stella Malone was totally wrong on this one.

Turns out these "friends" of his were his girlfriend's parents. Yes, I said _girlfriend's parents_. Was he serious? Of course, I took this as quite a surprise and may have taken it not as well as either of us had expected it. Well, what would you have done if the former love of your life had sprung this up on you out of the blue?

Needless to say, we _didn't _keep in touch. After my—ahem, _uproar_ we decided it be best to not speak. Mutually. Silently, too.

And psh, I didn't need him. I smirked. I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And I had been, for four years too! Besides, I already had the love of my life. I opened my eyes to look at him. He was sitting right beside me—

Oh no!

Don't panic!

Breathe.

Just _breathe_.

I looked down near my shoe expecting to find Henry. He wasn't there. Where could have he gone? Didn't he know better not to go anywhere? I checked under the bench. No, not there.

And this, my friend, is where I made the stupidest decision of my life. Without thinking, I hastily stood up from the bench leaving my coin purse behind and began looking frantically for Henry. Like how Nick had Frankie, well I needed Henry!

I began walking swiftly near the pond. I mean, he couldn't have gone too far, could he? Oh no, what if he drowned in the pond? Surely he didn't because no one was acting too frantic as if a cat had drowned.

Okay, he really couldn't have gone that far. I walked farther and faster near the pond. My gaze was like a hawk searching for its prey, but in this case- the prey was Henry. Seriously, he was a cat…how far could he have gone?

Just as I was about to turn around and start searching the other direction, an immense ball of white fluff caught my eye. The white fluff was quickly trotting down a nearby sidewalk. Henry!

"Henry!"

I called out stupidly as parents stared at me thinking I had lost my child. Well, in this case, I sort of had. The cat's blue eyes immediately turned in my direction. He stopped what he was doing. Oh thank God, I finally found him. I didn't know what I'd do—

Wait a minute. What was he doing? Henry began to go down the sidewalk again in the opposite direction, this time even faster. Oh, please don't tell me I have to run after a freaking cat, too. This was just too much.

I quickened my pace after that stupid ball of white fluff. Every time I took a step faster, so did Henry. Okay, finally I had it. I took after him rapidly and I must say, after working out in a gym for three consecutive months, these running legs did me some impressive work. The cat turned his direction towards a narrower pathway that led to a bridge. I was closely behind him, just yards away.

Maybe, I could just play it off I was actually jogging and not actually running after a cat. Henry ran across the bridge. It was then that I noticed it wasn't just Henry running. Just a couple feet in front of Harry, I saw that same stupid, sad-faced dog from earlier. What the hell. Henry was running after a dog?

"Henry! Come back!" I yelled out more frustrated than ever before. At that instant, Henry jumped from the base of the bridge into the nastiest puddle of water that I had ever seen. Even if it was _really _water. He proceeded into the woods following the brown-furred dog.

As I reached the base of the bridge myself, I knew there was no point in chasing after Henry. I halted to a stop. He was gone. He wanted his freedom. Ever hear the saying 'a dog is a man's best friend'? Yeah, well screw that saying. All dogs did was steal your cats away from you.

Sighing to myself, I turned around ready to make the walk back to the bench…without Henry. Well, at least I got my exercise in for the day. Yes, that and I lost my once trustworthy sidekick.

I frowned slightly, the thought of losing my best friend not hitting me just yet. Henry was all I had as of right now. And now he was gone…my stupid, white, fluffy, naïve sidekick was gone.

Speaking of sidekick, I suddenly remembered I still needed to get in touch with my former sidekick, Macy, about the plans for the following day. She had texted me earlier before I had left for the park that she would be arriving with Nick tomorrow.

I smiled to myself. Hey, you lose one sidekick, you gain another one. I took a deep breath as I turned the other way and walked slowly to my previous spot. Although I was saddened by Henry's departure, I knew he was doing me a favor and letting me deal this by myself. He probably knew I would have leaned and depended on Henry way too much given my stick situation.

_Shit! _I did it again! Why do I keep talking about my cat as if he was some great Greek god or something?

Soon enough, the familiar scene of trees and people came across as I returned back to Turtle Pond. I squinted my eyes towards to where I was previously sitting. Some man had stolen my spot.

I grew hopeful again as he began to swiftly to walk in the opposite direction. I had really liked that spot, it was spacious and it had-

My eyes grew wide as I saw the man begin to run. At that instant, I realized I had committed the biggest mistake known to mankind. I had forgotten my coin purse on _that _bench where _that _man had been sitting.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no.

Don't panic. Just breathe.

Aw, screw this.

"_SON OF A B-_"

I didn't care that I got even angrier stares from parents. I just took off running after that man even faster than I had done before running after Henry. That stupid man. That retarded man that no doubt had stolen my coin purse. Oh, he was going to get it.

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_Speaking of Henry, how fine did David Henrie look in those birthday Cabo pictures, eh!_


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